


Was King Gaemon Targaryen Poisoned? A fresh look at the evidence.

by ThePineTrees



Series: Reign of the Dragon [5]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: AU-Rhaenys becomes Queen, Academic Paper, Alternate Universe, History, Modern Westeros, Politics, Research
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-11 12:01:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11714010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePineTrees/pseuds/ThePineTrees
Summary: Dr. Arrec Trayler discusses the impossibility of the theory that King Gaemon Targaryen was assassinated.





	Was King Gaemon Targaryen Poisoned? A fresh look at the evidence.

**Author's Note:**

> listen i know it's been like two weeks but i can explain

Was King Gaemon Targaryen poisoned? A fresh look at the evidence

By Arrec Trayler

University of White Harbor, Department of History,  © 912 AC

 

The general consensus, at least among consumers of entertainment media, is that King Gaemon Targaryen, the 16 th  monarch on the Iron Throne, was poisoned by someone. This ‘someone’, theorists claim, was either one of Gaemon’s siblings or some otherwise ambitious lord who wanted Gaemon dead for political purposes. Then, the Dance of Dragons was fought because one of Gaemon’s siblings was trying to seek justice for his murder (whether Prince Baelon or Princess Daenerys was the murderer changes between renditions). 

The problem with that theory, however, is that it comes from a biased -and often Barlian- reading of history that ignores many basic facts regarding King Gaemon’s death. 

As this paper will argue, King Gaemon Targaryen was  _ not  _ poisoned or assassinated through any other means. Rather, it was an unfortunate coincidence hurtled Westeros into The Dance of Dragons. 

 

**Circumstances**

Assassination can truly be ruled out as a factor in Gaemon’s death just because of the world that Gaemon presided over. Following Lord Theon II Greyjoy’s brief rebellion during the reign of Gaemon’s mother, Queen Elaena II, the kingdom had tired of war. 

In addition, Gaemon was actually quite popular among his people. Lord Edmure Tully of Riverrun said that Gaemon was “a fine a man as I have ever met, with no equal on the battlefield,.” and Ser Nathaniel Connington, a principal general during the Dance, wrote that “The King [Gaemon] is well as ever; the man keeps the court happy, I’ll admit that”(1). The very climate during Gaemon’s death took place is a key indicator that assassination was not afoot in the Red Keep.

 

**Chronology**

In addition to the circumstances surrounding Gaemon’s death, the timeline for the supposed assassination does not fit with the established events of the evening of King Gaemon’s death.

On the day of his assassination, King Gaemon held a feast in the Red Keep to celebrate his nephew, Aerion’s (King Aerion) thirteenth nameday. According to multiple sources, including the journal of Lord Rodrik Dustin, the testimony of Vaella Velaryon, and the then Master of Whispers’ investigation: this is the timeline of King Gaemon’s death:

 

1500: The first guests begin filtering into the Great Hall of the Red Keep

1508: Prince Baelon enters the Great Hall

1511: Princess Daenerys enters the hall

1519: The Lord Hand, Arron Dayne, enters the hall

1520: King Gaemon enters the hall

1523: The Royal food taster tests all of the King’s food. The taster is unaffected

1525: Gaemon begins eating

1536: Gaemon coughs, and begins keeling over

1537: The Grand Maester is called

1540: Grand Maester arrives, medical procedures appplied on Gaemon

1542: Gaemon stops breathing, pronounced dead

1543: Kingsguard bars the doors to the Great Hall

1549: Cook is found and apprehended

1550: Food taster is incapacitated by Ser Marlon Manderly

1556: Either Ser Tywin Lannister or Lord Alan Chelstead (or possibly both) accuse Prince Baelon of poisoning

1557: Lord Crispard Celtigar accuses Princess Daenerys of poisoning

1559: Grand Maester declares that King was not poisoned and that he choked

1600: Chaos continues, Grand Maester is not heeded

1601: Supporters of Baelon forcibly break open the North door, Prince Baelon leaves

1602: Supporters of Daenerys forcibly break open West door, Princess Daenerys leaves

 

No evidence from any primary sources provides any reason to believe that King Gaemon was poisoned(2). Secondary sources written during and after the Dance expanded upon the baseless allegations of Crispard Celtigar, Tywin Lannister, and Alan Chelstead(3). 

 

**Conclusion**

For King Gaemon to have been poisoned, the poison would have had to be administered to the food in the two minutes between the taste tester’s test and the beginning of the King’s meal. This would have been nigh impossible in the crowded hall, more so because two members of King Gaemon’s Kingsguard were standing right behind him and would have seen any would-be assassin.

More importantly, the Grand Maester later testified during the Dance Trials that King Gaemon was suffering from Consumption, and that the King’s condition was hidden on purpose. A known trigger of consumption is eating too quickly or eating food that has spoiled. 

This is further complicated by the fact that Lord Crispard Celtigar and  Ser Tywin Lannister were later arrested by King Aerion Targaryen’s regime for providing false testimonies of the events surrounding King Gaemon’s death(3). 

More simply, this lends the argument to its natural conclusion: King Gaemon was not poisoned. He died from Wasting Consumption, and the  pre-existing factions within the Court blamed each other for the ‘assassination.’ 

This is a case of tragedy more than it is of murder.

 

**Footnotes**

**1** : Quotes from the  _ Courts index _

**2** :  _ The Encylopedia of 4th Century history _

**3** :  _ Monarchy v Celtigar  _ and  _ Monarchy v Lannister.  _ 1 45-56. Royal Court. 357 AC. Print. 

 

**Further Reading**

_ The Dance Trials: Transcripts,  _ compiled by Grand Maester Morian Martell

_ Short reigns, _ by Daella Bourne

The Kingsguard index (Author unknown)

 

**About the author:**

Arrec Trayler, 39, is the youngest ever department chair at the University of White Harbor. He began his career as an intern at the University of Duskendale College of Political Science, co-authoring reports with many famous professors. He has since become known as a champion for Revivalist History, and travels Westeros delivering speeches. Trayler lives in White Harbor with his wife, Leah, and dog, Ice. 


End file.
